Jake Goodman will step up his recovery from injury with a run out for AFC Wimbledon’s U21s squad this afternoon but goalkeeper James Shea is in a race to feature again before the end of the season.

On-loan Millwall centre-back Goodman has been out of action since January with a broken toe but has been back in training with the Dons for the past 10 days and will feature in today’s lunchtime fixture with Peterborough.

First-choice shot-stopper Shea fractured a bone his ankle in the recent defeat at Hartlepool United but the problem is worse than first feared and it is now expected that the former Arsenal prospect will be ruled out for the next five weeks.

Teenager Joe McDonnell has taken possession of the gloves in Shea’s absence but has been given a rough ride by the opposition in his two starts, the midweek draw with Southend and Saturday’s last-gasp victory over York, with Ross Worner also waiting in the wings.

Dons boss Neal Ardley said: “I think it’s probably going to end up being five weeks before James can come back. It is a fracture and we have to be careful. We will see how that heals.

“We have talked already about how much we put on young Joe’s shoulders. He is a talented boy and he has proven that, but the mental drain of playing in front of crowds at this level is big.

Saturday sunshine: Adebayo Akinfenwa taking on York at the weekend

“If we think it might hinder Joe’s development then we have obviously got Ross Worner and he needs to make sure he is lively and sharp. That would be for Joe’s development should we decide that, but at the moment he has come through two games well.”

Another former Millwall player, Jack Smith, struck on the stroke of full time to give AFC Wimbledon the points at Kingsmeadow on Saturday after York’s Jake Hyde had cancelled out Adeji Oshilaja's opener.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon are lining up a move for another striker following David Connolly’s decision to retire from football. The 37-year-old former Republic of Ireland international joined the Dons in January after his Portsmouth contract was cancelled by mutual consent.